1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to seat back assemblies and specifically modular seat back assemblies for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Seat back assemblies for a rear seat of a vehicle are configured in several arrangements dependent upon the vehicle model and style. Different vehicle models require different seat back assemblies and varying styles of the same model often require different seat back assemblies. In addition, some vehicles also have both second and third row seating with the seating arrangement being different between the second and third row seating. Different arrangements of seat back assemblies include bench seat arrangements and split seat arrangements. The bench seat arrangement includes a single continuous seat back. The split seat arrangement includes at least two adjacent seat backs with each of the adjacent seat backs independently moveable between an upright position and a folded position. The seat backs of the split seat arrangement have the same or different cross-car widths to achieve different split seat arrangements. The split seat arrangements typically include a 50/50 split, a 40/60 split, and a 40/20/40 split.
A modular seat back assembly includes at least two seat backs which may be selectively coupled in various arrangements. U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,505 to Yamawaki et al. discloses a modular seat back assembly. Yamawaki et al. discloses a first seat back and a second seat back adjacent the first seat back. In one arrangement, the first seat back and the second seat back are independently moveable between the upright and folded positions such that the modular seat back assembly has a split seat arrangement. In another arrangement, the modular seat back assembly includes a coupling member mounted to and extending from the first seat back to the second seat back such that the modular seat back assembly has a bench seat arrangement. Yamawaki et al. discloses a seat back assembly wherein the first and second seat backs are handed, i.e., the first seat back must be positioned to the left of the second seat back and the second seat back must be positioned to the right of the first seat back.
In a design where the seat backs are handed, a separate seat back must be manufactured for each split seat arrangement. For example, in a 60/40 split seat arrangement, a left seat back comprising 60% of the cross-vehicle width and a left seat back comprising 40% of the cross-vehicle width must be manufactured. In a 40/60 split seat arrangement, another left seat back comprising 40% of the cross-vehicle width and another left seat back comprising 60% of the cross-vehicle width must be manufactured. For each different split seat arrangement, a different right and left hand seat back must be manufactured.
In addition, the vehicle may or may not have wheel well features in the interior of the vehicle depending upon the model and style of the vehicle. In a configuration where the vehicle has wheel wells, the first and second seat backs each must define a wheel well cutout to accommodate the wheel well. In a configuration where the vehicle does not have a wheel well, the first and second seat backs each must have corners that conform to interior corners of the vehicle.
It would be desirable to manufacture a modular seat back assembly that is common to a variety of different vehicle models and styles such that the modular seat back assembly may be positioned into different bench seat/split seat arrangements to accommodate the configurations of the various models and styles and wheel well configurations.